CHALLENGE:
Struggle to align forecasts with actuals
The company was previously using Excel files to forecast sales, expenses, and cash flow. These Excel files functioned as isolated entities, lacking version control and accountability. To meet their complex planning needs, these files had to be circulated constantly via email or shared drives, and teams often struggled to identify the most up-to-date version. The manual process frequently required phone calls to confirm updates, and the large file sizes made them challenging to manage and slow to operate.
With their planning process siloed, the company found it challenging to align forecasts with actuals. They had already implemented OneStream’s Financial Close and Consolidation solution, but they recognized they needed a planning solution to create a dependable process. To establish a single source of truth, integrate workflows, and ensure seamless communication between solutions, they partnered with Spaulding Ridge to adopt OneStream’s Planning solution. The company recognized Spaulding Ridge’s ability to deliver personalized service with the expertise of a boutique consultancy, combined with the technical depth and scale of a larger organization.
SOLUTION:
Building a single source of truth with structured workflows and scalable infrastructure
After a collaborative discussion, we identified the company’s primary need: trusted data they could confidently use to make decisions. To achieve this, they needed a single source of truth, where data was verified and consistent across the system.
To support this goal, we enabled manual input forms within OneStream. These forms allow users to enter planning, forecasting, and budgeting data directly into the platform. This eliminates the need for external spreadsheets and ensures that all data is captured in a single system, reducing version confusion and improving data integrity.
To manage data uploads, validations, and certifications, we eliminated reliance on drives and instead built structured workflows. These workflows ensured that each team member submitted data on time and that the FP&A lead could review and certify its accuracy all within the system, without relying on emails or phone calls.
To handle large volumes of data efficiently, we migrated their planning data to OneStream’s cloud-based environment. This infrastructure provided scalable storage and faster processing, significantly improving performance compared to their previous Excel-based setup.
We built over 20 reports and dashboards to allow various departments to view the planning data they needed. Each report contained budget and forecasting data compiled by the corresponding team, enabling centralized access and consistent reporting. These tools allowed teams to view, analyze, and export data directly from OneStream, supporting leadership reviews, production planning, and supply chain decisions.
The company uniquely structured its forecast into both long-term strategic and short-term operational forecasts. Strategic forecasts look at the big picture, like yearly goals, while operational forecasts focus on monthly or day-to-day planning. The challenge was breaking high-level strategic plans into detailed monthly forecasts, which required custom allocations and additional development work. To enable an in-depth view, we built a dual-forecasting setup that supported both perspectives.
As part of their recent acquisition, the company shifted its fiscal calendar. This change affected how data was organized and reported across the system. We updated all metadata, reports, and calendar settings in OneStream to reflect the new fiscal year. Through careful coordination, we ensured everything aligned with their new reporting timeline.
RESULTS:
20+ reports and dashboards empower data-driven decisions
By integrating OneStream’s Planning solution with its existing financial close and consolidation system, the company created a unified platform that eliminated fragmented spreadsheets and manual processes. Teams can now input, validate, and certify data directly within OneStream using structured workflows and manual input forms. This improved data accuracy, accountability, and trust enables faster, more confident decision-making across departments. Migrating to OneStream’s cloud infrastructure also allowed them to handle large volumes of data efficiently, with scalable storage and improved performance.
With over 20 custom reports and dashboards built during the project, they have gained centralized visibility into its budget and forecast data, empowering leadership and operational teams with reliable insights from a single source of truth.
